The Department, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), and NHS England are working in partnership to develop a more sufficient and resilient supply of plasma, reducing the need for reliance on imports of plasma derived medicines.

A new end-to-end supply chain has been built, enabling the first National Health Service patients to receive life-saving plasma treatments made from the blood of United Kingdom donors in March, and increasing self-sufficiency for plasma derived medicines, specifically for immunoglobulins, from 0% to 25% self-sufficiency, and for albumin, from 0% to 80% self-sufficiency.

NHSBT has incorporated plasma collection into its business model, enabling growth in domestic plasma collection. This includes the use of modern automated collection technologies, used to enhance efficiency and consistency in the donation process. NHSBT is currently exploring future locations to expand its collection footprint and develop more donor centres.

Plasma collection is benefitting from the Department’s investment in NHSBT’s work to increase blood collection capacity and resilience, as plasma is collected from whole blood donations as well as dedicated plasma donation.

The Secretary of State for Defence has used his recent opportunities for dialogue with his US counterpart to emphasise the importance, now more than ever, of our deep ties and collaboration on security and defence.

The UK continues to cooperate closely with the US within AUKUS Pillar 2, as well as bilaterally to develop advanced capabilities and increase interoperability between our forces.

The Government is committed to the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. We are engaging with regulators including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and international medicines regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as to how we will take this commitment forward.

The Government is committed to the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. We are engaging with regulators including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and international medicines regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) as to how we will take this commitment forward.

Government support for alternative methods includes human specific technologies such as organoids and organs-on-chips. The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) provides major funding for one of Europe’s largest organ-on-a-chip facilities at Queen Mary University.

No assessment has been currently made on use of exoskeletons or wearable robotics as a technical aid, and NHS England is not currently exploring the use of exoskeletons or wearable robotics within their musculoskeletal work.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is developing medical technologies guidance on GaitSmart, which is looking at its use for people at risk for falling. Gaitsmart is a sensor-based digital technology that monitors limb movement, for gait and mobility issues. This guidance is due to be published this month.

Heat pipes are heat-conduction devices that employ phase transition of materials to remove heat from hot bodies. The use of nano-boron technology in heat pipes is in early-stage research which has not been demonstrated on a large scale. Consequently, there are no plans for a UK-wide roll out of heat pipes utilising nano-boron technology.

BEIS has not funded any work through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund specifically on heat pipes and expects that other projects funded will improve solutions such as heat pipes. One example is the £806,000 project by Oxford Nanosystems Ltd to develop nano technology coatings for heat exchangers, funded through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund.

Heat pipes are heat-conduction devices that employ phase transition of materials to remove heat from hot bodies. The use of nano-boron technology in heat pipes is in early-stage research which has not been demonstrated on a large scale. Consequently, there are no plans for a UK-wide roll out of heat pipes utilising nano-boron technology.

BEIS has not funded any work through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund specifically on heat pipes and expects that other projects funded will improve solutions such as heat pipes. One example is the £806,000 project by Oxford Nanosystems Ltd to develop nano technology coatings for heat exchangers, funded through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund.

Heat pipes are heat-conduction devices that employ phase transition of materials to remove heat from hot bodies. The use of nano-boron technology in heat pipes is in early-stage research which has not been demonstrated on a large scale. Consequently, there are no plans for a UK-wide roll out of heat pipes utilising nano-boron technology.

BEIS has not funded any work through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund specifically on heat pipes and expects that other projects funded will improve solutions such as heat pipes. One example is the £806,000 project by Oxford Nanosystems Ltd to develop nano technology coatings for heat exchangers, funded through the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund.

The use of nanotechnology in heat pipes and heat exchange is an early stage research which has the potential to improve the efficiency of low carbon heat pumps and thereby reducing the resulting demand on the electricity system. The Department is funding some promising research through its Energy Entrepreneurs Fund scheme and hopes to see this leads to improvements in the technology in the near future.

The use of nanotechnology in heat pipes and heat exchange is an early stage research which has the potential to improve the efficiency of low carbon heat pumps and thereby reducing the resulting demand on the electricity system. The Department is funding some promising research through its Energy Entrepreneurs Fund scheme and hopes to see this leads to improvements in the technology in the near future.

The use of nanotechnology in heat pipes and heat exchange is an early stage research which has the potential to improve the efficiency of low carbon heat pumps and thereby reducing the resulting demand on the electricity system. The Department is funding some promising research through its Energy Entrepreneurs Fund scheme and hopes to see this leads to improvements in the technology in the near future.

The Government reviews all licence applications for the export of UK-manufactured military and dual-use equipment against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including an assessment of any risk that the items will be diverted to an undesirable end-user or for an undesirable end-use. In addition, the UK ensures its arms exports are compliant with the Arms Trade Treaty, and international trade sanctions. Restrictions on the export of military and dual use goods will also make it more difficult for Russia to access this technology.

The Ministry of Defence is an advisory Department to the Department of International Trade on the export licence assessment process, and assesses the risk of such exports against our defence capability and national security, as well as the risk of diversion. The Government works hard to ensure that sensitive classified defence technologies have the necessary protections in place.

The department recognises that the demand for skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is growing, and we are proud to be encouraging more pupils into STEM at all key stages. We have put employers at the heart of the technical education system, asking them to set out the skills and knowledge that they need now and in the future. This has formed the basis of new occupational standards. So far, STEM employers, including those in construction, digital, engineering and manufacturing, and health and science sectors have developed 343 apprenticeships based on these standards.

We are introducing T Levels, boosting access to high quality technical education for thousands of young people, which are also based on the same occupational standards. T Levels in Digital, Construction and Health and Science are now being taught and T Levels in Engineering and Manufacturing will launch this September. A new campaign, ‘Get the Jump’, has been launched to help young people aged 14 to 19 to understand their education and training choices. More information on this can be found here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/explore-your-education-and-training-choices. T Levels are featured heavily in the campaign as an exciting new option for young people alongside apprenticeships, traineeships and Higher Technical Qualifications

Alongside this, we are investing up to £290 million to establish a comprehensive network of Institutes of Technology across England. These are unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and employers specialising in delivering higher technical education and training in key STEM subjects such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, robotics, precision farming and health and life sciences. A key objective of the programme is to increase participation from under-represented groups to support the long-term STEM skills pipeline.

For those earlier on in their education, we are proud to have made substantial spending commitments to improve the teaching and uptake of STEM subjects in schools. We are offering a bursary worth £24,000 tax-free or a prestigious scholarship worth £26,000 tax-free to train to teach the highest priority subjects of chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics and a £15,000 tax-free bursary for design and technology. In line with the Gatsby Benchmarks for good career guidance, all schools are expected to provide at least one meaningful encounter with employers per pupil per year, with an emphasis on STEM employers.

We have improved the quality of technical awards. These non-GCSE qualifications are intended to equip 14-16 year olds with applied knowledge not usually acquired in general qualifications. They are intended to focus on a sector or occupational group and enable the development of knowledge as well as associated practical skills where appropriate.

Schools have access to the STEM Careers toolkit which provides ideas and practical suggestions on how STEM specific content might be used to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks. This includes useful resources, examples of good practice and sharing STEM careers resources, such as job profile examples, further study route information and labour market information with teachers.

We hold regular discussions with the US on the full range of shared global challenges, including regular discussions between the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Blinken. In June, the Prime Minister and President Biden agreed a historic new 'Atlantic Charter', in which the UK and US agreed to "harness and protect our innovative edge in science and technology to support our shared security and deliver jobs at home". We also committed to "embrace the promise and manage the peril of emerging technologies, and enable open and fair trade between nations." As the Integrated Review makes clear, as an open trading economy, we will engage China and remain open to trade and investment. We will continue to pursue a positive trading relationship with China, while ensuring our national security and values are protected.

We have a close relationship with our Australian allies. I met with my counterpart in the Australian Government on 25th February 2021 to discuss digital regulation, and the importance of defending free speech and supporting the sustainability of the press.

DFID recognises that mobile phones can be a cost-effective, large-scale channel for delivering a range of services and socio-economic benefits. Indeed, mobile coverage is expanding dramatically with 5.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2018. In July 2019, DFID’s Mobile for Development programme was extended. This is a multisectoral partnership with the global mobile industry (via the Global System for Mobile Communications Association) that unlocks and scales mobile-enabled innovations to deliver against the Sustainable Development Goal targets. To date it has impacted the lives of over 20 million people – over 70% of whom are women – and has leveraged over £250m of additional (mostly private sector) funding.

In partnership with mobile network operators, this programme delivers impact in key areas including digital inclusion for women and people with disabilities, expanding connectivity, mobile-enabled smart cities, water, sanitation and energy, and mobile-based tools for climate resilience. It has a cross-cutting agenda on inclusion and has developed tools to improve digital literacy that are being adopted by national regulators.

The programme will achieve its aims through a combination of research and analysis, catalytic funding for innovation and targeted advocacy within the mobile and technology industry.

We have introduced computing as a statutory national curriculum subject at all 4 key stages and have introduced a new Computer Science GCSE and A level. The content was developed with industry experts to better equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to become active creators of digital technology.

As part of the Industrial Strategy, the government has committed substantial spending on mathematics, digital and technical education to increase the take-up and better teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools. For example, in November 2018 we launched the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), backed by £84 million of new funding. The NCCE is run by a coalition of STEM Learning, the British Computing Society and Raspberry Pi and supported by industry.

The NCCE is delivering a comprehensive programme of continuing professional development to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science at GCSE and A level, particularly amongst girls. We expect that this, in turn, will help equip these young people with the knowledge they need to pursue a career in the technology sector.

We are also improving careers advice in schools so that young people are aware of the high quality options available for both technical and academic routes into digital careers and they have access to information about the variety of careers that digital technology pathways have to offer. STEM activities, including employer talks and work visits, are built into school career programmes and the Careers & Enterprise Company funds some opportunities for young people to meet a wide range of STEM employers, which include those from the technology sector.

We are confident the digital technology sector and its start-up community will continue to grow from strength to strength. As outlined in our Digital Strategy and Charter, our ambition is to ensure the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business.

A significant part of achieving this is ensuring the wider ecosystem has the correct infrastructure for businesses to thrive. That is why the Industrial Strategy included commitments to boost spending on 5G digital connectivity right across the UK, raising investment in research and development, and improving skills by investing in maths, digital and technical education. DCMS’ Cyber Security team also supports and delivers programmes that accelerate and innovate cyber start-ups, including the NCSC Cyber Accelerator programme, and through the LORCA project - a vital step to ensure citizens and businesses can continue to operate safely online, whilst supporting UK entrepreneurs.

We know primary barriers to growth for start-ups are having adequate access to both finance and talent. That is why for finance, Government announced a new £2.5 billion British Patient Capital programme. This is expected to attract a further £5 billion in private investment, to support UK companies with high growth potential to access the long-term investment they need to grow and go global. In addition, if in the event that the Government cannot agree on a future relationship with the European Investment Bank prior to EU Exit, we will provide the British Business Bank with £200m of additional funding in venture capital and growth finance. This will provide start-ups across the country with the initial capital they need to start their business.

To continue to attract international talent, we have doubled the number of Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visas to 2,000. Doctors and nurses have been taken out of the Tier 2 visa cap, freeing up many more skilled worker visas to other sectors, including tech. 2019 will also see the launch of a new Start-Up visa for entrepreneurs, which will replace a route exclusively for graduates, opening it up to other talented business founders.

In the Autumn Budget 2017 we announced investment of £21 million to expand Tech City UK into a nationwide network – Tech Nation – aimed at accelerating the growth of the digital tech sector across the country. The funding will help Tech Nation support 40,000 entrepreneurs and up to 4,000 start-ups as they scale their businesses across the UK including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Newcastle.

The Department for Education conducted an internal review in 2016 on educational technology (EdTech), looking at the role of Government in supporting teachers and leaders to realise the benefits of technology.

Since this time, the Department has been engaging with both educators and the EdTech sector to identify good practice, opportunities and challenges.

The Department also held an event with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy challenger programme team, bringing together education leaders and industry to help identify key barriers to embedding technology within educational practice.

We are currently building on this work through a further series of stakeholder events to identify potential solutions to these barriers and plan to make an announcement once this work is complete.

The Department has made no assessment of this matter. The Mayor of London is responsible for the London Underground and any decision to move towards full automation of the trains would be entirely for him.